Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3 Isn’t for Everybody

The Microsoft Surface Pro 3 is an intriguing cross between a tablet and a laptop.

Mark Lennihan / Associated Press

By FARHAD MANJOO

June 17, 2014

FOR the better part of a month, I’ve been trying to replace the laptop that I use for my daily work, an Apple MacBook Pro, with Microsoft’s new tablet computer, the Surface Pro 3. I say “trying” because that’s what it has felt like; this is a machine that I’ve had to put a lot of work into adjusting to, in the hope that, at some point, I’d get used to it and see some kind of payoff.

In the end, I didn’t see that payoff. My time with Microsoft’s new tablet computer began with a feeling of minor annoyance and eventually leveled off into a sense of settling for something less than ideal. I never felt fully at ease with the Surface Pro 3, and I’m typing this review on the MacBook.

But don’t let my experience put you off from trying the Surface Pro 3. In fact, I encourage you to think of this review as something like a George Costanza breakup: Dear Surface Pro 3 — we’re not right for each other, but it’s not you, it’s me.

There is probably an audience out there that will love the light, stylish and surprisingly powerful Surface Pro 3. I suspect it isn’t a huge audience, but it may not be a tiny one.

Like previous incarnations of Microsoft’s Surface line, the device is an intriguing cross between a tablet and a laptop. Like an iPad, it’s a thin slab of glass that you navigate by touch. But the Pro 3 also has a very skinny cover that doubles as a keyboard and trackpad; with its built-in kickstand, which has been improved in this version of the device, you can fashion the machine into something that feels like a laptop.

If you’ve yearned for a single device that’s as portable as an iPad but can also run programs that are usually found on a Windows laptop, the new Surface Pro might be for you. Because it comes with a stylus, it might also be especially useful for artists or others who are fond of pen-based computing.

But the Surface Pro 3 is not for me, for one very specific reason that might resonate with you, too. Its keyboard and trackpad just aren’t as good as those found in many laptops, and certainly not in high-end laptops like the MacBook Air, the Apple machine that Microsoft has held up as its main competition for the new tablet.

The new Surface’s keyboard appears to be sturdier than the one in previous versions of the device.

Mark Lennihan / Associated Press

At a minimum, the Surface Pro’s input devices require a period of adjustment. That’s why I spent several weeks with the Surface before writing this. I kept waiting for something to click, for my brain and my fingers to get used to the keys and the trackpad.

But nothing clicked. The Surface Pro’s trackpad is finicky; it’s not great at detecting multiple-finger inputs (like two-finger scroll) and because it’s substantially shorter than a laptop’s trackpad, you’ll find yourself hitting keys instead of the pad. (Microsoft says new software that’s on its way will fix the two-finger scroll problem.)

I did find the new Surface’s keyboard to be sturdier than the one in previous versions of the device. Also, because the new kickstand allows the Surface’s screen to be set up at a variety of viewing angles, the machine can be positioned on your lap or another uneven surface, just like a laptop.

But still, the whole keyboard-kickstand balancing act felt unsteady compared with a laptop’s rigid frame. There was a slight, annoying bounce of the keyboard case when I typed, and in tight places — airplane and train seats — the machine was an ergonomic catastrophe of moving parts.

To me, these flaws were damning. Over the last couple of years, I’ve offloaded most of my more passive computing tasks — like idly browsing the web or scanning email and Twitter — to my phone. That means when I reach for my laptop or desktop, I’m usually looking to do intensive work, which requires excellent input devices. If your laptop requirements resemble mine — if you write a lot, manage many windows, or work with large, scrolling documents like spreadsheets — the Surface Pro 3 isn’t your best bet.

On the other hand, if you’re mainly looking for a tablet that can sometimes be used as a computer, you may be O.K. with the Surface’s keyboard and trackpad. I’d suggest at least going to a Microsoft Store to check it out.

But be warned: The Surface Pro 3 starts at $799, plus $130 for Type Cover. An iPad Air costs $499; a third-party iPad keyboard can be had for around $100. So the only reason to choose the Surface Pro over an iPad Air is if you truly can’t do without Windows programs.

As I said, there are probably a few people for whom that’s true. Don’t worry, Surface Pro 3. You’ll find someone who loves you. Just not me.